New year, new outfielder.
Sure, Andrew Benintendi feels more like 2022 than 2023 since the move had been thoroughly dissected in mid-December. We here at Sox Machine had multiple posts and podcasts about it:
- Dec. 16: White Sox signing Andrew Benintendi for five years, $75 million
- Dec: 16: Sox Machine Live!: Hello, Andrew Benintendi
- Dec. 17: With Andrew Benintendi, White Sox break new ground while retracing old steps
- Dec. 18: Tepid reactions to Andrew Benintendi signing
- Dec. 20: FutureSox Podcast: Andrew Benintendi fits snugly on White Sox roster
- Dec. 20: How much might Guaranteed Rate Field help Andrew Benintendi?
But while we've had more than a fortnight to acclimate ourselves to the idea of Benintendi being the White Sox's everyday left fielder, the official terms are fresh. The $75 million is unevenly distributed in a way that allows the White Sox to add more to this year's payroll if they so choose. (They always have a choice, but you know what I mean.)
Benintendi will make $8 million in 2023, although you wouldn't be wrong to consider it more like $11 million when including the $3 million signing bonus. He'll then make $16.5 million from 2024 through 2026, after which his salary drops to $14.5 million for the fifth and final year.
It leaves them money for adding, although only a handful of the top 50 free agents remain, and none address their biggest needs. I suppose Elvis Andrus is there for middle-infield needs, and Adam Duvall would give the White Sox at least one outfielder named Adam to keep the streak alive for a 10th year after non-tendering Adam Engel.
Rick Hahn's comments introducing Benintendi ....
“Andrew certainly fits many of the things we were looking for this offseason in terms of balancing out our lineup and adding a different type of hitter and obviously a dynamic player who’s earned accolades not just for his offense but for his defense, as well, and we think makes us a better, well-rounded ballclub both offensively and defensively."
... briefly brought to mind another Adam from a couple years ago ...
"We wanted to improve our production against right-handed pitchers, and we wanted to not compromise defense in the process of doing that," said Hahn of Eaton, who has a career .801 OPS against right-handers. "Adam addresses both of those needs and also does so in a way that allows us to continue to round out our other needs, fill our other needs on this roster."
But unlike Eaton, Nomar Mazara, Jon Jay and most other outfielders the Sox hoped would provide adequacy, Benintendi doesn't need to be better than he's recently shown to give the White Sox a boost.
Hahn noted that Benintendi could benefit from the move to Guaranteed Rate Field, as he's never had a home park that handsomely rewarded left fielders for pulling the ball, but he resisted the urge to project that he'd gain the homers he lost:
“Honestly, in the end, if he produces similarly to what he did last year … that’s a real nice shot in the arm for this offense to add that type of player to it,” Hahn said. “If in fact some of those doubles – given those big gaps in Kauffman (Stadium, home of Benintendi’s old employers, the division-rival Royals) that he played with – if some of those doubles wind up leaving the yard, that’s fantastic, too.
“But we know what he’s capable of doing offensively, and if his future performance offensively matches what he’s done in the recent past going forward, that’s just fine.”
As for elsewhere, Hahn said that he didn't see the White Sox as a finished product. The quote seems like it could be said if the White Sox had all 26 roster spots spoken for ...
... but even if the White Sox go with internal candidates at second base and right field for the Opening Day lineup, they still seem one outfielder short. Asking Oscar Colás to play right field is a tall-enough order. Asking him to play center in the event of another Luis Robert injury means other people will be asked to do things they're not supposed to, which is why Gavin Sheets and Andrew Vaughn are still listed as outfielders on the depth chart.
